OU-Baylor football game highlights busy Veterans Day weekend for Oklahoma Guardsmen

The 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is an Oklahoma Army National Guard formation that traces its lineage to the legendary 45th Infantry Division of World War II, one of the most decorated American divisions of that conflict. The "Thunderbird" division, so named for the distinctive Native American thunderbird symbol on its shoulder patch, served with distinction in Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany before occupying part of postwar Germany. The 45th's World War II heritage is a source of immense pride for the Oklahoma National Guard and for the state as a whole, and it sets a standard of excellence that each successive generation of 45th soldiers aspires to uphold.

In its most recent major deployment, the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team spent nine months in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom before returning to Oklahoma in 2013. During that deployment, the 45th conducted security operations, trained Afghan national security forces, and supported the broader mission of transitioning security responsibilities from coalition forces to their Afghan counterparts. The deployment was demanding and costly: the brigade lost 14 soldiers to combat and other causes, and nearly 250 members were wounded and entered Warrior Transition Units for medical care and rehabilitation. These casualties reflect the genuine danger that the 45th's soldiers faced throughout their tour.

Retired Col. Joel Ward, who led the 45th IBCT during the Afghanistan deployment, was honored at the OU Military Appreciation Day event with the presentation of the game ball approximately 20 minutes before kickoff. University of Oklahoma President David Boren, Athletic Director Joe Castiglione, and OU Regent Dr. Leslie Rainbolt-Forbes made the presentation, recognizing Ward's leadership during one of the brigade's most consequential modern deployments. Ward's own tribute to the state — "Oklahoma is the best state in the nation to be a Soldier and the University of Oklahoma epitomizes that" — captured the mutual appreciation between the military community and Oklahoma's civic institutions.

The 45th IBCT's return from Afghanistan was celebrated throughout the state, with recognition at athletic events, parades, and ceremonies in communities from Norman to Stillwater. The breadth of that recognition reflected the geographic spread of the brigade's soldiers, who come from communities throughout Oklahoma and carry the Guard's distinctive character as a force rooted in the towns, neighborhoods, and families of the state it protects. When the 45th comes home, it comes home to every corner of Oklahoma simultaneously.

Veterans Day in Oklahoma is observed with a depth of community engagement that reflects the state's long and distinguished tradition of military service. Oklahoma has one of the highest per-capita rates of military service in the nation, with a large National Guard presence, multiple major military installations, and a culture that consistently ranks military service among the most respected callings a citizen can pursue. This culture of respect translates into Veterans Day observances that go well beyond official ceremonies to encompass community parades, school events, sporting tributes, and personal acts of appreciation that unfold in towns and cities across the state on and around November 11 each year.

Community parades are a central Veterans Day tradition in many Oklahoma towns, providing a public forum for communities to express their collective gratitude and give veterans a tangible experience of being honored by their neighbors. The Veterans Day weekend described in this article saw parades in Blanchard, Wewoka, Stillwater, Midwest City, Chandler, and Norman, demonstrating the geographic breadth of organized community tribute across the state. Oklahoma National Guard units participated in many of these parades, providing a visible military presence that connects communities to the active service being performed in their name even as they celebrate those who have served in the past.

Memorial ceremonies hold a special place in Veterans Day observances, particularly for units that have recently returned from deployment with casualties to mourn as well as accomplishments to celebrate. The ceremony at the 45th Infantry Division Museum in Oklahoma City, which featured keynote remarks by Col. Van Kinchen and the reading of the names of all 19 fallen Oklahoma Army National Guard soldiers by Maj. Gen. Myles Deering, exemplifies the solemn dimension of Veterans Day that coexists with its celebratory aspects. The 21-gun salute, the sound of Amazing Grace on bagpipes, and the F-16 flyover at the Norman ceremony provided the ceremonial structure that marks the weight and dignity of the occasion.

The integration of military appreciation into major sporting events has become an increasingly prominent feature of Veterans Day observances in Oklahoma, as universities, professional teams, and other sports organizations have found ways to honor military members that reach large audiences and generate significant emotional impact. The OU Military Appreciation Day during the Big XII game against Baylor, which provided approximately 200 tickets to Oklahoma troops and featured recognition of the 45th IBCT, represents this dimension of modern Veterans Day observance — one that uses the reach and visibility of major athletic events to amplify the community's expression of gratitude to its soldiers.

Universities and sports organizations have increasingly recognized their platforms as powerful vehicles for military appreciation, capable of reaching audiences that extend far beyond the military community itself. When a major college football game, an NBA contest, or a professional baseball game designates a particular event as Military Appreciation Day or Night, it transforms the ordinary sports audience into participants in a public act of tribute. Soldiers, veterans, and military families in attendance receive recognition and often complimentary or discounted tickets, while the tens of thousands of other fans in the stadium witness the expression of appreciation and are invited to share in it.

The University of Oklahoma's decision to host Military Appreciation Day during the Big XII game against Baylor, providing approximately 200 tickets to Oklahoma troops and inviting representatives of the recently returned 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team for special recognition, reflects a thoughtful approach to university-military relations. OU President David Boren's comment that "OU was proud to provide an opportunity for all Oklahomans to express our deep gratitude" articulates the philosophy behind such events — that the university sees itself as a civic institution responsible for creating shared experiences of community gratitude, not merely as an athletic enterprise. This framing of sports as a vehicle for civic expression elevates military appreciation games above the level of simple marketing initiatives.

The presentation of the game ball to retired Col. Joel Ward, who commanded the 45th IBCT in Afghanistan, added a personal and meaningful dimension to the OU Military Appreciation Day ceremony that went beyond the generic expressions of support common at many sporting tributes. By identifying a specific leader whose soldiers had returned from a specific, recent, costly deployment and honoring him in the specific context of that service, OU connected the abstract concept of military appreciation to the concrete reality of sacrifice made by real Oklahomans in the recent past. This specificity is what transforms a stadium ceremony from a performative gesture into a genuine act of recognition.

The F-16 flyover by four Fighting Falcons from the 93rd Fighter Squadron added a dimension of military spectacle that amplifies the emotional impact of appreciation events in ways that no stadium ceremony alone can replicate. The sound and sight of military aircraft at low altitude over a stadium full of fans creates a visceral experience that connects even civilians with no personal military connection to the reality and power of American military capability. Maj. Robin Lytle, a 1995 OU graduate, flew in the formation, creating a personal connection between the flyover crew and the institution being honored that made the moment particularly resonant for those in the know.

Warrior Transition Units are Army organizations specifically established to provide command and care for soldiers who require complex medical management or who are recovering from injuries serious enough to require extended rehabilitation. WTUs exist on military installations throughout the United States and provide a military organizational structure for soldiers who are not well enough to return to their primary units but still require the structure, discipline, and peer support of a military environment during their recovery. Each soldier assigned to a WTU is assigned a Troop Commander, a Primary Care Manager, and a Case Manager who work together to coordinate the soldier's medical treatment, rehabilitation, and eventual transition back to active duty or to civilian life.

For the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which returned from Afghanistan with nearly 250 members assigned to Warrior Transition Units, the WTU system represented a critical support infrastructure for a significant portion of the brigade. The injuries sustained during the deployment ranged from the visible — broken bones, amputations, and burns — to the invisible, including traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder that may not manifest fully until months or years after a soldier returns from the combat environment. The WTU system is designed to address this full spectrum of combat injury, providing physical and behavioral health care alongside the administrative support soldiers need to navigate the military's medical and disability systems.

1st Lt. Christopher Leblo, who attended the Veterans Day ceremonies as a representative of the brigade's wounded warriors, embodied the spirit of resilience that WTU soldiers often display. Leblo, assigned as a transportation platoon leader at FOB Gamberi, was injured during a vehicle recovery operation, breaking his foot and wrist. His response — telling his team to "wrap it up and give me some Motrin" because he didn't want to leave — captured the ethos of a soldier so committed to his mission and his troops that his first instinct in injury is to minimize its significance rather than to seek care. His willingness to represent the brigade's wounded warriors at a public ceremony reflected that same commitment to service beyond self.

The visibility given to wounded warriors at events like the OU Military Appreciation Day serves an important social function beyond the recognition of individual soldiers. It communicates to the broader public that the cost of military service includes not just the ultimate sacrifice of those killed in action, but the daily struggles of thousands of veterans and service members managing serious injuries sustained in combat. When Leblo stood on the field at a major college football game representing the 250 wounded members of his brigade, he made those invisible struggles visible in a way that a statistic in a news report never could. That visibility is important for building and sustaining public support for the resources and programs that wounded warriors depend upon.

F-16 Fighting Falcon flyovers have become one of the most powerful and recognizable expressions of military ceremony in American public life, combining the visual spectacle of high-performance military aircraft with the visceral physical experience of jet engines at close range. The aircraft's speed, precision, and sheer presence create a moment of shared awe that transcends ordinary ceremonial gestures and connects audiences directly to the reality of American military capability. At a football stadium, a parade route, or a memorial ceremony, the sudden appearance of F-16s flying low in tight formation produces an emotional response that is difficult to articulate but universally felt by those who experience it.

The four F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 93rd Fighter Squadron at Homestead Air Reserve Base that flew over the OU-Baylor game were crewed by Lt. Col. Joe Feheley, Lt. Col. Matt Fritz, Maj. Robin Lytle, and 1st Lt. Dan Lint. Maj. Jeff Milburn of the 507th Air Refueling Wing at Tinker Air Force Base provided communications support for the operation. The planning and coordination required to execute a safe and properly timed flyover over a major sporting event is substantial, involving coordination with the FAA, stadium officials, and military operations centers to ensure that the aircraft arrive at precisely the right moment and depart safely without disrupting the event or endangering anyone on the ground.

The personal connection between Maj. Robin Lytle and the University of Oklahoma — Lytle is a 1995 OU graduate — added a dimension of meaning to the flyover that went beyond the institutional. When a university's own alumni fly their military aircraft over its stadium in tribute to the soldiers being honored on the field, the circle of community is closed in a particularly compelling way. It is no longer simply the military honoring the military, or the university honoring the military, but a member of the OU community who has gone on to serve in uniform coming back to express that service in a form visible to the entire stadium. That kind of personal narrative, when it becomes known, transforms a spectacular event into a story.

F-16 flyovers also serve a practical military purpose beyond their ceremonial significance: they maintain public awareness and appreciation for the continued relevance of military aviation to national defense. In an era when drone warfare and cyber operations attract significant public attention, the appearance of piloted fighter aircraft at major public events reminds audiences that manned military aviation remains central to American military capability. For the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units that typically perform flyovers at sporting and ceremonial events, the public visibility also supports recruiting and community relations, connecting the organization to the broad civilian audiences that attend and watch these events.